The Center for Transportation Safety operates the largest fleet of simulators outside the U.S. Armed Forces. Currently, we operate three simulators housed in 53-foot and 57-foot trailers. These Mobile Simulation Labs are equipped with audio/visual equipment and classrooms for 10 to 20 drivers. Two other fixed simulators are located at our Colorado campus. A new two-cab (truck and car) simulator will be installed in a Mobile Training Facility in the summer of 2004.

The Center for Transportation Safety is a partner with and uses FAAC, Inc. of Ann Arbor simulators. The FAAC simulators utilize hundreds of scenarios covering different vehicles, including a car, SUV, 15 passenger van, police cruiser, and ambulance.

These scenarios work in the following virtual worlds:

Highway World

50 square mile region with 87 miles of continuous roadways (city, highway, rural) and "drive anywhere" capability-on road or off. Participants can drive in a free-play, unrestricted, environment. Traffic is spontaneous, intelligent, and reacts randomly to the trainee's vehicle. Each driving session is unique, so students must learn to respond to new situations rather than base their reactions on memorized cues.

City World

14 x 14 square block city area for use with pre-defined or scripted scenarios. This virtual world includes one way streets, alleys, housing areas, and high-rise structures.

Off Road World

Originally designed to train the Humvee drivers for the U.S. Army, this world includes nearly 50 square miles of seashore, beach, sand dunes, forested mountains, swamp/bogs, and desert.

Drivers make decisions based on terrain, slope, type of vehicle, and ground condition, just as they do in the real world. This world is very effective for training oil field workers and construction crews.

Environmental Conditions

Driving worlds offer variable lighting (dawn/day/dusk/night) and variable weather and environmental conditions (fog, rain, snow, ice, and dust). In addition, we can, on certain simulators, "intoxicate" the simulators to varying blood alcohol content to show drivers how vehicles respond with inebriated drivers. This is an effective tool for impaired driver awareness for young drivers.